UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of August 2021

 

Commission File Number: 001-39117

 

 

 

36Kr Holdings Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

5-6/F, Tower A1, Junhao Central Park Plaza
No. 10 South Chaoyang Park Avenue
Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 100026
+86 10 5825-4106

(Address of principal executive offices)

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F  x          Form 40-F  o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):  o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):  o

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

      36Kr Holdings Inc.
         
         
Date: August 24, 2021   By: /s/ Dagang Feng
        Name: Dagang Feng
        Title: Co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer

 

2

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   Description
99.1   Press Release

 

3

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

36Kr Holdings Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2021 Unaudited Financial Results

 

BEIJING, August 24, 2021 / GLOBE NEWSWIRE / - 36Kr Holdings Inc. (“36Kr” or the “Company” or “We”) (NASDAQ: KRKR), a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter 2021 ended June 30, 2021.

 

Second Quarter 2021 Operational and Financial Highlights

 

· Average monthly page views (“PV”) for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2021 increased by 69.5% to 846.3 million, from 499.2 million for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2020.

 

· Total revenues were RMB72.1 million (US$11.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB76.7 million in the same period of 2020.

 

· Revenues from online advertising services increased by 65.1% to RMB51.7 million (US$8.0 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB31.3 million in the same period of 2020.

 

· Revenues from enterprise value-added services were RMB14.3 million (US$2.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB42.6 million in the same period of 2020. Gross transaction value1 increased by 35.9% to RMB57.9 million in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB42.6 million in the same period of 2020.

 

· Subscription services revenues increased by 124.1% to RMB6.0 million (US$0.9 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB2.7 million in the same period of 2020.

 

· Gross profit increased by 86.1% to RMB41.4 million (US$6.4 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB22.2 million in the same period of 2020. Gross profit margin was 57.4% in the second quarter of 2021, compared to 29.0% in the same period of 2020.

 

· Net loss attributable to 36Kr Holdings Inc.'s ordinary shareholders was RMB34.1 million (US$5.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB79.5 million in the same period of 2020.

 

 

1Starting from January 1, 2021, 36Kr recognized revenues of certain enterprise value-added services on a net basis, to reflect the fact that the Company continuously shifted focus towards higher margin businesses hence ceased to act as a principal in certain low gross margin businesses and only acted as an agent. To increase comparability of operating results and help investors better understand our business performance and operating trends, we introduced the gross transaction value as a supplemental metric to describe our business. Gross transaction value is defined as the value of executed confirmed orders for services provided for our customers. 

 

1

 

 

Selected Operating Data

 

  

For the Three Months Ended

June 30,

 
   2020   2021 
Online advertising services          
Number of online advertising services end customers   161    188 
Average revenue per online advertising services end customer (RMB’000)2   194.7    275.2 
Enterprise value-added services          
Number of enterprise value-added services end customers   80    50 
Average revenue per enterprise value-added services end customer (RMB’000)3   533.0    286.1 
Subscription services          
Number of individual subscribers   982    581 
Average revenue per individual subscriber (RMB)4   521.0    1,420.0 
           
Number of institutional investors   33    87 
Average revenue per institutional investor (RMB’000)5   62.7    59.7 

 

Mr. Dagang Feng, co-chairman and chief executive officer of 36Kr, commented, “In the second quarter of 2021, we continued to broaden our New Economy-focused content and service offerings and once again achieved record-setting performance in total user traffic, with average monthly PVs reaching a new high at 846.3 million for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2021, a 69.5% year-over-year increase, marking our 13th consecutive quarter of PV growth. We have been making robust progress in content enrichment with diversified presentation formats, appealing a wider user base and further solidifying our core competencies and spearheading business innovation. Moreover, our tireless optimization in products and technologies has been paving the way for us to empower the growth of New Economy participants as well as the digital transformation of traditional industries through our influential and comprehensive platform. As we continue to strategically focus on enterprise services as long-term growth driver, we believe we are well positioned to seize the vast opportunities in the new era, creating compelling value proposition for more customers, users and investors.”

 

Mr. Xiang Li, acting chief financial officer of 36Kr, stated, “We are pleased to report a set of solid financial results in the second quarter of 2021, with a strong year-over-year growth across all of our business segments on a comparable basis. Notably, our advertising revenues increased by 65.1% to RMB51.7 million, demonstrating sustained user engagement and customer interest in our premium content and service offerings. As we continued to shift our resources and focus towards higher margin businesses, we saw continuing improvement in both gross profit and gross profit margin, which reached 57.4% this quarter. Going forward, we will continue to build upon our content strengths and expand monetization channels to seize vast New Economy opportunities.”

 

 

2Equals revenues generated from online advertising services for a period divided by the number of online advertising services end customers in the same period.

3Equals revenues generated from enterprise value-added services for a period divided by the number of enterprise value-added services end customers in the same period.

4Equals revenues generated from individual subscription services for a period divided by the number of individual subscribers in the same period.

5Equals revenues generated from institutional investor subscription services for a period divided by the number of institutional investors in the same period.

 

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Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

 

Total revenues were RMB72.1 million (US$11.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB76.7 million in the same period of 2020.

 

·Online advertising services revenues increased by 65.1% to RMB51.7 million (US$8.0 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB31.3 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to the strong recovery of market demand as well as more innovative marketing solutions we provided to our customers. The number of advertising customers and the average revenue per advertising customer both achieved strong growth in the second quarter of 2021.

 

·Enterprise value-added services revenues were RMB14.3 million (US$2.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB42.6 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily because we continuously shifted our focus towards higher margin businesses and starting from the first quarter of 2021, we ceased to act as a principal in certain low gross margin businesses and only acted as an agent. As a result, revenues of such businesses were recognized on a net basis from the first quarter of 2021 onward. To increase comparability of operating results and help investors better understand our business performance and operating trends, we introduced the gross transaction value as a supplemental metric to describe our business. Gross transaction value of enterprise value-added services was RMB57.9 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB42.6 million in the same period of 2020.

 

·Subscription services revenues increased by 124.1% to RMB6.0 million (US$0.9 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB2.7 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to high-quality subscription products we offered to our institutional and individual subscribers.

 

Cost of revenues was RMB30.7 million (US$4.8 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB54.4 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily because we continuously shifted our focus towards higher margin businesses and recognized certain revenues on a net basis. For more details, please refer to the aforementioned information in terms of enterprise value-added services revenues.

 

Gross profit increased by 86.1% to RMB41.4 million (US$6.4 million) in the second quarter of 2021, from RMB22.2 million in the same period of 2020. Gross profit margin was 57.4% in the second quarter of 2021, compared to 29.0% in the same period of 2020.

 

Operating expenses were RMB75.3 million (US$11.7 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB99.4 million in the same period of 2020.

 

·Sales and marketing expenses were RMB33.4 million (US$5.2 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB39.0 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to the decrease in marketing expenses and share-based compensation expenses.

 

·General and administrative expenses were RMB29.9 million (US$4.6 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB50.9 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to the decrease in the allowance for credit losses and share-based compensation expenses.

 

·Research and development expenses were RMB12.0 million (US$1.9 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB9.6 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to the increase in payroll-related expenses as we beefed up our research and development capabilities.

 

Share-based compensation expenses recognized in cost of revenues, sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, as well as general and administrative expenses totaled RMB3.3 million (US$0.5 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB12.6 million in the same period of 2020.

 

3

 

 

Other expenses were RMB0.4 million (US$0.1 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB2.0 million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to less losses recognized from equity method investments.

 

Income tax expense was RMB1 thousand (US$0.2 thousand) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB85 thousand in the same period of 2020.

 

Net loss was RMB34.3 million (US$5.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB79.3 million in the same period of 2020. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss6 was RMB31.0 million (US$4.8 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB66.7 million in the same period of 2020.

 

Net loss attributable to 36Kr Holdings Inc.'s ordinary shareholders was RMB34.1 million (US$5.3 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB79.5 million in the same period of 2020.

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share were both RMB0.033 (US$0.005) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to RMB0.078 in the same period of 2020.

 

Certain Balance Sheet Items

 

As of June 30, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB149.6 million (US$23.2 million), compared to RMB174.1 million as of March 31, 2021. The decrease was mainly attributable to the share repurchase as well as cash used in operating activities.

 

Share Repurchase Program

 

On May 6, 2020, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to a total of 1,000,000 of its American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each representing 25 Class A ordinary shares. As of June 30, 2021, the Company had repurchased approximately 785,713 ADSs for approximately RMB17.5 million (US$2.6 million) under this program.

 

 

Conference Call

 

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 24, 2021 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on August 24, 2021). Details for the conference call are as follows:

 

Event Title: 36Kr Holdings Inc. Second Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call
Conference ID: 5438658
Registration Link:  http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/5438658

 

All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process at least 20 minutes in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a participant dial-in number, Direct Event passcode, and unique registrant ID, which will be used to join the conference call.

 

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.36kr.com.

 

A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live call until August 31, 2021, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

 

United States: +1-855-452-5696
International: +61-2-8199-0299
Hong Kong, China: 800-963-117
Mainland China: 400-632-2162
Replay Access Code: 5438658

 

 

6Non-GAAP adjusted loss represents net loss excluding share-based compensation expenses.

 

4

 

 

About 36Kr Holdings Inc.

 

36Kr Holdings Inc. is a prominent brand and a pioneering platform dedicated to serving New Economy participants in China with the mission of empowering New Economy participants to achieve more. The Company started its business with high-quality New Economy-focused content offerings, covering a variety of industries in China’s New Economy with diverse distribution channels. Leveraging traffic brought by high-quality content, the Company has expanded its offerings to business services, including online advertising services, enterprise value-added services and subscription services to address the evolving needs of New Economy companies and upgrading needs of traditional companies. The Company is supported by comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities. Through diverse service offerings and the significant brand influence, the Company is well-positioned to continuously capture the high growth potentials of China’s New Economy. 

 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

In evaluating its business, the Company considers and uses two non-GAAP measures, adjusted net income/(loss) and adjusted EBITDA, as supplemental measures to review and assess its operating performance. The presentation of these two non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company presents these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by the Company’s management to evaluate its operating performance and formulate business plans. The Company also believes that the use of these non-GAAP measures facilitates investors' assessment of its operating performance.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using these non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect our operations. Further, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating the Company performance. The Company encourages investors to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

 

Adjusted net loss represents net loss excluding share-based compensation expenses.

 

Adjusted EBITDA represents adjusted net income/(loss) before interest income, interest expenses, income tax expense/(credit), depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of intangible assets.  

 

For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP results” set forth at the end of this press release.

 

Exchange Rate Information

 

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi are made at a rate of RMB6.4566 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on of June 30, 2021.

 

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Safe Harbor Statement

 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goal and strategies; the Company’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; relevant government policies and regulations relating to our business and industry; the Company’s expectations regarding the use of proceeds from this offering; the Company’s expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its services; the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand; the Company’s ability to provide high-quality content in a timely manner to attract and retain users; the Company’s ability to retain and hire quality in-house writers and editors; the Company’s ability to maintain cooperation with third-party professional content providers; the Company’s ability to maintain relationship with third-party platforms; general economic and business condition in China; possible disruptions in commercial activities caused by natural or human-induced disasters; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. 

 

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

 

In China:

 

36Kr Holdings Inc.

Investor Relations

Tel: +86 (10) 5825-4188

E-mail: ir@36kr.com

 

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Jenny Cai

Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677

E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com

 

In the United States:

 

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: 36Kr@tpg-ir.com 

 

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36Kr Holdings Inc.

 

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

   December 31,
2020
   June 30,
2021
   June 30,
2021
 
   RMB’000   RMB’000   US$’000 
Assets               
Current assets:               
Cash and cash equivalents   60,846    90,180    13,967 
Short-term investments   148,344    59,391    9,198 
Accounts receivable, net   304,845    225,335    34,900 
Receivables due from related parties   98    1,643    254 
Prepayments and other current assets   16,319    37,077    5,742 
Total current assets   530,452    413,626    64,061 
Non-current assets:               
Property and equipment, net   3,941    3,627    562 
Intangible assets, net   471    692    107 
Long-term investments   16,300    43,143    6,682 
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net   27,365    19,801    3,067 
Total non-current assets   48,077    67,263    10,418 
Total assets   578,529    480,889    74,479 
                
Liabilities                
Current liabilities:               
Accounts payable   64,641    46,569    7,213 
Salary and welfare payables   45,580    39,345    6,094 
Taxes payable   18,824    9,547    1,479 
Deferred revenue   18,849    34,885    5,403 
Amounts due to related parties   548    1,318    204 
Accrued liabilities and other payables   13,560    14,721    2,279 
Operating lease liabilities   15,132    13,874    2,149 
Total current liabilities   177,134    160,259    24,821 
Non-current liabilities:               
Operating lease liabilities   12,426    5,991    928 
Total non-current liabilities   12,426    5,991    928 
Total liabilities   189,560    166,250    25,749 
                
Shareholders’ equity               
Ordinary shares   687    694    107 
Treasury stock   (14,081)   (19,861)   (3,076)
Additional paid-in capital   2,040,693    2,046,692    316,992 
Accumulated deficit   (1,638,581)   (1,712,181)   (265,183)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (7,897)   (8,443)   (1,308)
Total 36Kr Holdings Inc.'s shareholders’ equity   380,821    306,901    47,532 
Non-controlling interests   8,148    7,738    1,198 
Total shareholders’ equity   388,969    314,639    48,730 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   578,529    480,889    74,479 

 

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36Kr Holdings Inc.

 

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

 

   Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended 
  

June 30,

2020

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2020

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2021

 
   RMB’000   RMB’000   US$’000   RMB’000   RMB’000   US$’000 
Revenues:                              
Online advertising services   31,340    51,742    8,014    52,382    84,972    13,160 
Enterprise value-added services   42,637    14,304    2,215    85,446    21,200    3,283 
Subscription services   2,686    6,019    932    4,033    9,434    1,461 
Total revenues   76,663    72,065    11,161    141,861    115,606    17,904 
Cost of revenues   (54,423)   (30,683)   (4,752)   (114,172)   (50,848)   (7,875)
Gross profit   22,240    41,382    6,409    27,689    64,758    10,029 
Operating expenses:                              
Sales and marketing expenses   (38,989)   (33,431)   (5,178)   (73,929)   (69,131)   (10,707)
General and administrative expenses   (50,870)   (29,914)   (4,633)   (110,194)   (50,073)   (7,755)
Research and development expenses   (9,572)   (11,969)   (1,854)   (18,120)   (20,943)   (3,244)
Total operating expenses   (99,431)   (75,314)   (11,665)   (202,243)   (140,147)   (21,706)
Loss from operations   (77,191)   (33,932)   (5,256)   (174,554)   (75,389)   (11,677)
Other income/(expenses):                              
Share of loss from equity method investments   (2,708)   (1,943)   (301)   (5,707)   (3,924)   (608)
Short-term investment income   341    411    64    486    1,391    215 
Government grant   90    389    60    3,092    2,175    337 
Others, net   228    772    120    1,433    982    152 
Loss before income tax   (79,240)   (34,303)   (5,313)   (175,250)   (74,765)   (11,581)
Income tax (expenses)/credit   (85)   (1)   -    5    5    1 
Net loss   (79,325)   (34,304)   (5,313)   (175,245)   (74,760)   (11,580)
Net loss/(income) attributable to non-controlling interests   (155)   233    36    390    1,160    180 
Net loss attributable to 36Kr Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders   (79,480)   (34,071)   (5,277)   (174,855)   (73,600)   (11,400)
                               
Net loss   (79,325)   (34,304)   (5,313)   (175,245)   (74,760)   (11,580)
Other comprehensive (loss) /income                              
Foreign currency translation adjustments   313    (884)   (137)   2,145    (546)   (85)
Total other comprehensive (loss) /income   313    (884)   (137)   2,145    (546)   (85)
Total comprehensive loss   (79,012)   (35,188)   (5,450)   (173,100)   (75,306)   (11,665)
Net loss/(income) attributable to non-controlling interests   (155)   233    36    390    1,160    180 
Comprehensive loss attributable to 36Kr Holdings Inc.’s ordinary shareholders   (79,167)   (34,955)   (5,414)   (172,710)   (74,146)   (11,485)
                               
Net loss per ordinary share (RMB)                              
Basic   (0.078)   (0.033)   (0.005)   (0.171)   (0.072)   (0.011)
Diluted   (0.078)   (0.033)   (0.005)   (0.171)   (0.072)   (0.011)
Net loss per ADS (RMB)                              
Basic   (1.946)   (0.834)   (0.129)   (4.280)   (1.794)   (0.278)
Diluted   (1.946)   (0.834)   (0.129)   (4.280)   (1.794)   (0.278)
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in per share calculation                              
Basic   1,021,075,312    1,024,200,699    1,024,200,699    1,021,369,649    1,026,791,094    1,026,791,094 
Diluted   1,021,075,312    1,024,200,699    1,024,200,699    1,021,369,649    1,026,791,094    1,026,791,094 
Weighted average number of ADS used in per ADS calculation                              
Basic   40,843,012    40,968,028    40,968,028    40,854,786    41,071,644    41,071,644 
Diluted   40,843,012    40,968,028    40,968,028    40,854,786    41,071,644    41,071,644 

 

8

 

 

36Kr Holdings Inc.

 

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS

 

   Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended 
  

June 30,

2020

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2020

  

June 30,

2021

  

June 30,

2021

 
   RMB’000   RMB’000   US$’000   RMB’000   RMB’000   US$’000 
Net loss   (79,325)   (34,304)   (5,313)   (175,245)   (74,760)   (11,580)
Share-based compensation expenses   12,588    3,332    516    25,597    5,999    929 
Non-GAAP adjusted net loss   (66,737)   (30,972)   (4,797)   (149,648)   (68,761)   (10,651)
Interest income, net   (223)   (236)   (37)   (782)   (341)   (53)
Income tax expenses/(credit)   85    1    -    (5)   (5)   (1)
Depreciation and amortization expenses   1,334    652    101    2,564    1,306    202 
Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA   (65,541)   (30,555)   (4,733)   (147,871)   (67,801)   (10,503)

 

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